Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-30
DRAPING WINDOWS,

D1IAl 1NU V1NDVW D.
AN ART WHICH HAS ATTAINED 4
IA HIGH STATE IN CHICAGO.
Experts Tell How It 10 Accomplished
blending Of Colors Necessary to Make
. Display Attractive-Material for the
Decorator.
20, look at that big crazy quilt, mamma, 81
cried little miss of perhaps 10 years, as she
stopped for a moment before gorgeously
decorated store window on State street re-
Gently. "Why, that's not a crazy quilt:
those are handkerchiefs and ribbons" :" said
her mother, quietly laughing at the child's
mistake.
Zone could not better illustrate the curl
Gus effects, good or bad, produced by a win
dow trimmer upon the senses of the passer-by
than to give those remarks said Mr.. J. A.
Barber to a reporter as he surveyed a
completed window of linen specialties. "It
is curious fact" he continued, "but very
true, nevertheless, that SO great necessity
in the retail business as an artistic window
who has not the least idea of harmony in
colors or appropriateness in the selection Of
goods put in window for the general pub
hes gaze. There are certainly some very
finely arranged windows to been seen in Chi
cago every week, but now and then you will
meet with one such that the little girls re-
mark to her mother is not an exaggerated
Idea Of the effect, as q whole. You may ex-
a oiw R,,l
arrangement of the articles meant to be
shown, but from a distance of fifteen feet
you could not tell to save you what kind Of
goods were on sale.
"This fault is more commonly seen in the
smaller stores than among the larger firms,
for during the last four or five years it has
been seen by the leading houses that to have
a good snowy windows requires the entire
time Of one man. Another thing you must
bear in mind is that window trimmer is
not made in a week or a month. I myself
worked for ten years at odd times as an as
sistant in this class Of work before did
single job alone or dared consider myself
capable of doing all kinds Of work such as
dry goods house continually requires. Dur
ing the last six years it has been my exclu-
sive business"
"What are the principal essentials Of
good trimmer?" asked the reporter.
"A scientific knowledge of the effect of
combined colors is the greatest. No man
can make an attractive and snowy window
that does not thoroughly understand that art,
and it is al art as much as with dress
maker. Then q man must have q good
mechanical eye to gauge the effect to be pro-
duced from distance, as well as close in
spection of his work. Fixtures are, of course,
q necessity, and there have been many i'm
provements in their portability the last few
years which greatly assist window trim
mer, but a man who understands his
business thoroughly can trim a window
neatly and with good effect by the most
simple resting pieces for anything he has to
show. There are several firms in this CITY
who do not use anything but boxes and i'm
provised frames, and yet carry out the idea
intended with good effect. Draping is an
other point to be studied by trimmer, and
he has to understand the grouping of bodies
quite as much as the blending of colors."
During tour Of a large number of retail
stores the inquirer conversed with the differ
emit gentlemen employer for this c..actine
work and their replies to inquiries made are
here given individually. Said Mr. E. Cau-
bert: "a nine years. experience has taught
me that the best effect can be produced in
window trimming by judicious selection Of
quantity. Overcrowding a window makes
it look too heavy and the eye will not he at
racted to any one article which might
please the viewer should he see it more bv
itself: not that there should be wide bare
'paces on which there is but background,
but individuality is what should be aimed at.
This is more especially so in mems furnish
ing goods A man will often see tie well |
displayed Of the same design, but in differ
mt colors and shade, and make purchase
where a double quantity in the window |
would hardly attract his attention. Such |
lrticles as underwear and shirts are most |
.asily arranged. The smaller the articles |
he more difficult Of arrangement, but also
he more artistic when finished.
"We do not use mirrors for background |
Is some houses do. They are used mainly |
or the purpose Of making small window |
ook larger than it really is. In good sized |
windows I do not consider them necessary. |
well arranged window should be ventilated |
o as to keep out all warm or moist air which |
auses frost to gather so as to completely |
hut out the view in cold weather. A win. |
low should be nearly the temperature of the |
utside air during the winter months. Our |
windows are usually changed completely
nee week, and sometimes oftener, as we
vish to display our novelties in the windows
irst before putting them in the show cases
nside.'
Mr.. Charles Liebenstein said: "Our best
alesmen are our show windows. There is
ot a man or woman in our employ who sells
s many goods for us as our window dis
lays. It may sound odd to say that nation
lity has deal to do with the taste in win
ow trimming, but such is fact. The
,nglish, Irish and Scoth are nations of shop
eepers, and their window displays at home
re well known the world over. We find
hat men of those nationalities are our best
ecorators, which seems second nature to
hem. They are taught to do this work
7hen they begin to sell goods, and it is an
xcellent idea that should be more universal
4 this country. They excel the French in
isplay, except it be in silks and velvets.
he refinement of the French is excellently
hown in the artistic drapings of their dress
oods, in which they are au fait. Chicago
ribune.
Growth of the Licorice Plant.